Raven's Witness - by Hank Lentfer (Hardcover)

About the Book

An inspirational biography set against the backdrop of Alaska's wilderness, Native cultures, the writing life, and friendships rooted in nature

Book Synopsis

Banff Mountain Book Award Winner - Grand Prize
Banff Mountain Book Award Winner - Mountain Literature

"A lovely tribute that illuminates what makes a life extraordinary." -- High Country News

• Richard K. Nelson was the host of the national public radio series, "Encounters"
• Nelson was an anthropologist who lived with Alaska Native tribes and spoke both Inupiag and Koyukon
• Based on Nelson's journals and interviews with Gary Snyder, Barry Lopez, Rick Bass, and others

"He listened to his [Native Alaskan] teachers, immersed himself in their landscapes as a naturalist, and became, without intending to, a great teacher himself." --Barry Lopez, from the foreword

Before his death in 2019, cultural anthropologist, author, and radio producer Richard K. Nelson's work focused primarily on the indigenous cultures of Alaska and, more generally, on the relationships between people and nature. Nelson lived for extended periods in Athabaskan and Alaskan Eskimo villages, experiences which inspired his earliest written works, including Hunters of the Northern Ice In Raven's Witness, Lentfer tells Nelson's story--from his midwestern childhood to his first experiences with Native culture in Alaska through his own lifelong passion for the land where he so belonged. Nelson was the author of the bestselling The Island Within and Heart and Blood. The recipient of multiple honorary degrees and numerous literary awards, he regularly packed auditoriums when he spoke. His depth of experience allowed him to become an intermediary between worlds. This is his story.

Find out more at www.ravenswitness.com, and learn how you can help bring this story to life here.

Review Quotes

Raven's Witness is the perfect mix of poetic voice and scientifically infused prose. This book takes us on one man's journey of passion and insight that stems from Alaska's wilderness and its people. The writing style is thoughtful, and the end result is a story that seeps into the soul of the reader.--Helen Rolfe "2020 Banff Book Competition Jury, Mountain Literature Award"

Raven's Witness is the Alaska book I've waited lifelong to read. Hank Lentfer's gorgeous account of the evolution of Richard K. Nelson's life and thought is a godsend. Half a century ago Nelson realized how wrong it was to send Native Alaskans our teachers when we should be begging theirs to teach us, and Lentfer describes the ways he came to live that realization.--David James Duncan

Raven's Witness not only introduces Richard Nelson to those of us who had not heard of him, but more importantly it lays bare the philosophies that he embraced, that will likely be important for the future of humanity.--Mike Nash "Cloudburst"

An anthropological saga, a literary gem about the legendary "Nels," one of the most extraordinary naturalists of our time.--Paul Hawken "author of Drawdown"

An inherently fascinating and impressively informative biography, Raven's Witness: The Alaska Life of Richard K. Nelson will prove to be of immense interest to readers.-- "Midwest Book Review"

Anyone who cares about the wilder corners of this Earth, and the indigenous people and animals that have successfully inhabited them, should know the work of Richard Nelson, a remarkable anthropologist and superb writer who died last year. A fine introduction to his life can be found in a new biography, Raven's Witness.--Bill McKibben "The New Yorker's The Climate Crisis"

Even more than a brilliant biography, Raven's Witness creates an entirely new genre--a beautifully told story of the ethos of gratitude and joy that is born when an extraordinary man immerses himself in the culture of sea-ice people and the wisdom of a wild island.--Kathleen Dean Moore "author of Great Tide Rising"

Hank Lentfer's Raven's Witness is an exceptional biography of Richard Nelson, and a gift to us. Reading it we come to understand, through Nelson's life, how the immediacy of the senses, flowing across the earth--touch, taste, scent, sight, sound--transcend whatever other feeble boundaries we construct. Nelson emerges here as a most passionate participant in these senses, and in that immediacy, endures.--Rick Bass "author of Winter: Notes from Montana"

I savored every page of this magical, beautifully-woven book - the story of one man's apprenticeship to Alaska's northern wisdom and wild joy. The final pages brought me to laughter and tears, inspired by Richard Nelson's humility and respect. His great heart forever open - listening.--Kim Heacox "author of The Only Kayak"

In prose that powerfully evokes the richness of the landscape he writes about, Lentfer takes readers on a touching and remarkable journey, managing to create a heartfelt portrait not only of his complex and fascinating subject but also of the people Nelson loved and the place he called home. With its artful presentation of a writer's life and struggles, Raven's Witness takes readers on a profoundly American adventure that soars through last word.--Colleen Mondor "Booklist"

A beautifully told story of a well-lived life.--Lisa Schwarzburg "Alaska Journal of Anthropology"

A lovely tribute that illuminates what makes a life extraordinary.--Jennifer Sahn "High Country News"

The author gives compelling shape to his subject's vigor and curiosity.-- "Library Journal"

Mr. Lentfer was a friend and expedition partner to Nelson, and he skillfully portrays the trials of a life stretched taut between these two different ways of knowing and occupying.... Lentfer's book is particularly good at evoking the piercing beauties of all that was outside, and the bliss Nelson found there.--Richard Adams Carey "Wall Street Journal"

This book makes me want to ponder over our connections with nature and the meaning of spirituality for each one of us. Such is the power of its quality of writing and the subject of the book, Richard K. Nelson. There can never be enough of books like this.--Nandini Purandare "2020 Banff Book Competition Jury, Grand Prize Award Winner"

[Lentfer] had a wealth of material to work with, and has done a magnificent job of crafting a well-organized and literary book of his own from that abundance.--Nancy Lord "Anchorage Daily News"

A fine biography, and a memorable introduction to an exceptional man.--Jane Manaster "Seattle Book Review"

Lentfer's refined and evocative writing is enriched by excerpts from Nels's eloquent, revealing journal entries.... Packed with relevant messages, Lentfer's biography is a timely reminder to heed the advice of students who have learned from the greatest teacher of all: nature.--Bianca Bowers "Foreword Reviews"